Kent as Pac-10’s most-veteran coach?

Ben Braun’s firing at Cal, and the uncertainty over Lute Olson really making it back to the bench to coach at Arizona next season, raises the possibility that Oregon’s Ernie Kent could be the longest-tenured coach in the Pac-10 when next season tips off.

True, if Olson is coaching it will be his 25th season, and only Kent’s 12th, so this could be a moot statement. But there just seems to be some lingering question about whether Lute the Legend will be on the bench.

Maybe that’s reading too much into Kevin O’Neill’s statement he will stay on as the assistant coach, but who thinks that’s the gig he really wants?

Anyhow, in respose to a query about how Braun and Kent match up in terms of wins and losses, here’s the comparison. And I’ll add in Washington’s Lorenzo Romar, because that seems to often be a comparison made, and Lord knows, nobody keeps track of each other quite like Huskies and Ducks.

But, honestly, maybe the schools Oregon should be most compared to in basketball are California and Washington. Facilities are among the worst in Pac-10 at all three, regardless of the renovations in Berkeley in Seattle. With Ducks and Huskies, recent success follows some spott years along the way, while both are like Cal in their desire to recall great days of yore.

BEN BRAUN
Overall record at Cal: 219-154 (.587 winning percentage in 12 years; second-winningest coach ever at Cal)
Last five years: 79-75 (39-51 in Pac-10)
NCAA record in past five years: 0-1

ERNIE KENT
Overall record at Oregon: 211-134 in 11 years (.612 winning percentage; one victory from UO record for coaching wins)
Last five years: 94-56 (42-48 in Pac-10)
NCAA record in past five years: 3-2

LORENZO ROMAR
Overall record at Washington: 119-72 in six years (.623 winning percentage)
Last five years: 109-55 (54-36 in Pac-10)
NCAA record in past five years: 4-3

Going back five years was used as the timetable for Cal to justify firing Braun. That takes the Ducks of Kent back to Luke Jackson’s senior year, or the five seasons since Luke Ridnour left for the NBA.

Bob Clark is a veteran sports reporter who has covered local and national events for more than 30 years.